Watchtower Guided Tour
by Rurouni Tyriel
Summary: (ONE-SHOT) Flash has been elected to give the new Justice League members a guided tour of their new workplace, the completely redesigned Watchtower. Includes glimpses of the training facilities, private quarters, Javelin bays, prisoner cells and more.


**Disclaimer:**

I don't own Justice League, though I damn well wish I did. Or maybe just the hot kryptonian blondes. Oh yeah. Them, a tropical island, and some coconut oil. That's all I'd need.

* * *

**Summary:**

New heroes have arrived to join the Justice League and Flash has been elected to give them a guided tour of their new workplace, the completely redesigned Watchtower. Set during and just after the events of 'Initiation.' Rated PG-13 to be on the safe side.

* * *

Flash hung towards the back of the room, listening with only polite interest to Superman's big welcome speech for the newbie's. He'd heard most of it before, after all. Heck, he'd given the big guy a few pointers on what to say, helped him make it sound slightly less corny. So his attention was somewhat divided between listening to Superman's speech and checking out the new recruits of the Justice League.

Particularly the heroines.

_Hmmm...__ too young, plus Supes would kill me (Supergirl)... Bats would kill me, and he's scarier than Supes... (Zatanna)... I think she's married, and I really don't want to find out the hard way (Barda)... oooh, now that one has possibilities (Vixen)..._

Finally the long speech ended, and everyone broke up into little groups to talk. Barring any world-shaking crisis's they didn't have a great deal to do at the moment. So it was that the Flash decided to interact and find out more about his new co-workers. He knew a few of them by sight, having been given the dubious honor of mailing their invitations to the League over the past couple of months. But he wanted to know more about them than their costumes and their powers. He wanted to know what they were like.

He was about to join the small clusters throughout the main room when Superman floated down to join him, blocking his path.

"Hey big guy," he said, smiling. "Nice speech. I think only about half your audience fell asleep this time," he joked.

"Glad you liked it," replied Superman. "Listen Flash can you do me a favor? I had something to do but J'onn decided I'm needed back in Metropolis. Little trouble with Intergang, and Batman is coming with me."

"Sure thing, big guy, what do you need?"

"I need you to show the other recruits around the Watchtower," he said.

"Guided tour huh?" replied Flash nonchalantly . "Sounds like fun."

"Thought you'd enjoy it. Have fun," said Superman, lifting up into the air and making his way to the transporter pad. In a few seconds, he was gone.

_Alright_, thought Flash, rubbing his gloved hands together. _Showtime._

"Alright everyone! Can I have your attention please?" he called out, and instantly all eyes in the command center were on him. "As Superman said, welcome again to the Justice League. We're now giving a guided tour of your new home and office the Watchtower," he said dramatically, gesturing at the rather impressive space station in which he now stood. It made their old Watchtower look like a relic space probe from the 80's. The vast influx of Martial (J'onn), Kryptonian (Brainiac's unwilling assistance) and Thanagarian (remnants from the invasion) technology had done wonders in upgrading their Watchtower. Now they were like a floating city in space, and had enough firepower to take out New Mexico if they really wanted to.

"So if everyone can please follow me and uhm... try not to get lost?" he added meaningfully. "I got lost here the first time I arrived. Took J'onn to find me, I was somewhere down by the power core," he said. Good-natured laughing and ribbing followed his little story but the Flash could take a joke.

"Alright then..." he said, leading them out the sliding doors of the main room and into one of the adjacent corridors. Then he came to a stop as he abruptly realized he didn't know where to go.

_Okay think fast Wally_, he thought. Fortunately it was one of the perks of being the Fastest Man Alive.

* * *

"Okay we'll stop by the crew quarters first," he said, guiding the small legion of super heroes behind him. "We've basically got a sweet set up here, but this is mostly for those of you who don't have or don't want to bother with secret identities or homes on Earth. J'onn and Diana are down that way if anyone ever needs to speak to them," he said, gesturing down an adjacent corridor. "Oh, and we've got some rooms set up for uhm... out of towners," said Flash, gesturing at the trio from New Genesis. Orion, Mr. Miracle, and Barda. "You'll have to fight over who gets what. They're at the far end of the other hallway. Tech people are on the floor below us."

He didn't add that there was another room down that way, just between J'onn's and Diana's. It was empty but no one was willing to fill it. It was being left open in case she ever decided to come back. All that she'd done had been forgiven, and they were ready to accept her back with open arms (well, some more than others, Wonder Woman was still a little hurt) when she felt the time was ready.

"Oh, and we've got a set up so that we can eject the quarters into a small shuttle in case of… uhm… well… in case we need to use detonate the Watchtower," he finished. Not surprisingly, he startled a good number of the new recruits. _Nice going Wally. Way to keep them on the team_.

"You mean we're sitting on explosives?" asked a blonde-haired man in the back with some golden shades and black n' gold armor. Booster Gold.

"Well, yeah," replied Flash. "But it's for precautions. I mean, the old Watchtower was the only reason we survived the last invasion, and we need to be set in case something else happens. I'm sorry if that scares anyone here but these things have to be done. Don't worry. The only panel to activate self-destruction is locked up tight as a drum and only Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman know the codes. Plus it takes all three of them to activate it, if that makes you all feel better."

"Actually it does," remarked a voice from the back of the tour. Flash couldn't tell who it came from.

"So does S-boy have a room down there too?" asked a yellow-skinned man who seemed to move so fast he materialized on the Flash's shoulder. Flash leapt back in surprise.

"Whoa, don't do that."

"Oh sorry... can't help myself. Heh heh," said the creepy yellow man, performing a flawless back flip that ended with him clinging to supports on the ceiling, upside down. Never once did a rather insane, creepy smile leave his face. Dimly, Flash remembered this fellow as someone Batman had brought in from Gotham. Named the Creeper. _How appropriate_.

"No, Superman doesn't have a room down that way. He has a secret identity he maintains on Earth," replied Flash.

"Care to enlighten us as to who that is?" asked a faceless man towards the back of the tour, dressed like a 60's private eye. The Question.

Flash smirked, shaking his head. "'fraid not. If you want to find out his identity, better ask him yourself. These things can be a sensitive matter."

"I think I will," replied the Question, idly making a mental note to do just that. And though he didn't mention it, to also find out more information about the other members of his newfound team as well.

"Alright then, past here we've got our orbital defenses but those are mostly inactive for the time being..." said Flash.

The tour continued...

* * *

Their next stop was the galley because, as was to be expected, it was late in the day and a good number of bellies were rumbling. Flash's especially. One of the drawbacks of having a hyper-active metabolism. The door slid open at their approach, like most did on the station, but Flash flung out his arms as if he'd just pushed open the swinging doors of a saloon and invited in the group behind him.

"Ladies and Gentlemen I present to you everything for the growing superhero," he said. Then, with a quick burst of speed he was behind the counter of the food court, gesturing at the food already prepared. The kitchen staff really had been doing a good job since they'd arrived. "We've assembled virtually anything you could want here if you want to grab a bite to eat or get a meal before your next mission. Believe me, I know that skipping a meal can provide disaster more often than a super villain," said Flash. Again, the tour group laughed, and he smiled. He was actually enjoying this.

Orion seemed about to pose a question, his mouth started to open, but the Flash was well ahead of him.

"And we've got a specially stocked walk-in fridge right over there," he said, pointing it out. "Filled with the oh-so-scrumptious food from the farthest parts of the galaxy," he said, watching the inhabitants of New Genesis turned to regard the locker. Behind their backs, Flash stage-whispered to the others "Personally I wouldn't touch some of that stuff with a ten foot pole though."

A grumble rippled through the air, its source being the Flash's stomach, and he grinned sheepishly.

"Well okay, we've got a chance to take a break if anyone's hungry... any objections?" he asked.

No one objected.

"Well okay then. Just like high school, grab a tray and dig in."

And dig in they did, most of the new League members were starving after a full day of heroism and speeches and tours. They were ready for some chow.

Flash felt a tap on his shoulder as he loaded up some hotdogs onto his own tray, glancing over to see the red visage of the Red Tornado, the artificial intelligence android.

"I require a service outlet," he... it?... said.

"Oh yeah right," said Flash, realizing what he meant. Red Tornado was a machine, he didn't need food like the others did. But he would need a power-source. J'onn had mentioned that a few meetings back.

"Right over there big guy," said Flash, pointing out the wiring necessary. Red Tornado nodded once, though out of gratitude or programming Flash couldn't say, and made his way over to re-charge him... it?... self.

"Man where do we dig up these guys?" asked Flash idly, as he finished piling food onto his tray and sought out a table. Preferably one with the most spandex-clad hottie heroines. They all looked up to him the way they looked up to Batman or Superman or Wonder Woman. It was fun, not being the rookie of the team anymore. All his life he'd looked up to big time heroes like them, now these guys were looking to him. Felt… incredibly, really.

* * *

"Okay, everybody here?" called out the Flash, as they departed the food galley. When no one replied in the negative (who would say they weren't here, after all?), he continued on with his tour. "Okay step lively, we got the fun parts coming up next."

"Sounds interesting," remarked the iron-clad giant walking just behind him. Steel, a buddy of Superman's from Metropolis. Gave the big blue boyscout a hand smacking around Metallo a few years ago, if Flash recalled correctly.

"Oh you bet. Okay for all those of you who have ever wanted to meet an alien, here's your chance," said Flash, tapping in the code to a locked doorway. His fingers moved in a blur, so nobody else noticed the nine-digit number he just punched in. They'd get to learn it later.

The doors slid open and they revealed the Prisoner Storage.

The new members of the League quickly crowded in, those capable of flight hovering in the air to give those below a little more room to move about freely. The room wasn't all that big, only about thirty feet long and about half that wide, and filled with a few computers. And the storage cells, of course. Glass containment cells about the size of a large humanoid. Most were empty, but one or two held a creature of non-human origins in them.

Like the far one.

"Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to an old buddy of GL's, Sinestro," said the Flash, presenting the red-skinned tyrant like he was a monkey at the zoo. Sinestro glared at them through the glass but didn't dignify them with a response. His arms were folded across his chest, regarding them as he did all life. As less than himself. Flash felt himself smirk. The bastard would get what was coming to him soon enough.

"Sinestro here's wanted for high crimes on a lot more planets than just Earth, so they League decided we can't keep him locked up in Stryker's down in Metropolis. So we're sending this bad boy back to Oa to stand trial in a few days. We're waiting for Kilowog to drop by and pick him up. 'til then, he stays right here."

"How do you know he won't simply escape?" asked Dove, making his way over to examine the prison. It seemed remarkably fragile.

"We should just toss him out the airlock. That'll teach him a lesson," remarked Hawk, standing behind his brother.

"'fraid we can't do that," said Flash, feeling a little sympathetic for Hawk's suggestion. After all, Sinestro was a tyrant and a terrorist who'd damn near killed his buddy the Green Lantern and came close to killing off the League as well. He didn't deserve any mercy. But still, he was getting it. "Superman would have a fit. We're not big on the killing off of enemies here in the League. We show 'em mercy."

"Sounds stupid to me," remarked Hawk darkly.

"Stupid or not, its what we do," replied Flash. Then, turning the other half of the Hawk and Dove duo, he went on. "To answer your question, this is no ordinary holding cell. This glass," he said, tapping his knuckle against it, "is made of a material that, frankly, I don't have the time or breath to pronounce. But I do know that its twice as durable as compressed steel three feet thick... when its only a quarter inch in reality," he said, tapping it again. Sinestro hated it when he did that.

"In addition to that, Sinestro's not much a threat without this little number," remarked Flash, zipping to the other end of the room and opening up a carefully guarded safe. This done, he triumphantly held up a certain small golden ring. "This is going to Oa as well, as evidence," he said, before placing it back into the safe and securely locking it up.

"What's this?" asked Black Canary, leaning over one of the nearby glass prisons. She was reaching forward cautiously towards the computer for a better reading, but in a blur the Flash had grabbed her hand to stop her.

"Whoa whoa whoa... not touchie please," he said, gently shooing her away. _She had really soft hands_, he thought. Then abruptly brought himself back to here and now to explain his actions.

"This is one bad boy you don't want to mess with believe me. This is Brainiac," he said, indicating the computer chip sealed inside the glass chamber. Supposedly, it was locked up and unable to even access an e-mail, but Flash had been through enough experiences with Brainiac to know how much of a threat it was. Apparently most of the other heroes present recognized the name as well. They now eyed the glass containment cell with newfound respect and even a little fear. "Don't worry," reassured the Flash. "He ain't goin' nowhere. Bats made sure of that. The guy knows his way around a computer, believe me."

Silence reigned after that.

_Oooh__ bad move.__ Don't wanna end this tour on a bad note. Better think of something quick_.

"Okay, everybody ready to move on? Still got a lot of ground to cover. But I think I know the perfect place to drop by next..."

* * *

Energy blasts rained down from above, forcing the individuals below to dodge out of the way or be blasted to smithereens. Both did so, easily avoiding the lasers. The girl reached to her waist, grabbing her golden lasso and lashed out, wrapping it around one of the laser turrets and ripping it clear out of the wall, then slammed it against the opposite wall, destroying the other.

"Not bad," she grunted.

"We're not finished yet!" replied Batman, grabbing a pair of batarangs as a new opponent revealed itself. A silvery robot with a pair of wrist-mounted laser-cannons emerged from the floor and started blasting at Batman and Wonder Woman. Batman took refuge behind his companion (not hiding... Batman never -hid-) as she employed her defensive strategy, deflecting blasts off of her silver bracers. When an opening in the attack presented itself, Batman moved forward and hurled his batarang, taking off the u-shaped head of the android and ceasing its attack instantly.

"Not bad at all," he remarked.

Neither would've been terribly surprised to know they were being watched, since the training center of the Watchtower was open to all members of the League after all. Flash was up above, pointing out the center to the other members of his tour group, who were watching with various degrees of interest, speculation, and awe.

"Most impressive," remarked Steel, arms folded across his chest plate. "This could make for a really useful workout."

"I'll say," breathed Zatanna at his side, watching Batman throw off more of the robots. "He's gotten better."

"We run a variety of programs from this very room," said Flash, indicating the control panel. "Anything you could need, we set them up with hard light holograms so it's as real as actually being there," explained the Flash. "How that works I have no idea but it does work and that's all we care about."

"I'm familiar with the principle of hard light," remarked Dr. Light, making her way to the controls. "It's actually not as hard to grasp as some people would have you believe."

"Really?" asked the Flash. Then, smirking playfully at her, he added, "Care to tutor me about it sometime?"

"Perhaps," she replied, moving past him. He couldn't tell if she was serious or not. But, seeing the group's eyes on him again, decided he should get back to work. For now at least.

"Okay, training room is here in case anyone wants to get a work out later. Now we're on to the more boring part of the tour. Hall of records..."

* * *

The Hall of records was like a library, only it didn't really contain many books. Everything was computerized. It was more like a giant computer lab than a library, but here were all the records the League needed. Criminal bios (updated faithfully by Batman after every encounter), alien biology, technology, everything you could possibly need.

The walls were covered in star charts detailing some of the inhabited planets throughout the galaxy. Rigel IX, the Ajuris System, Oa, War World, New Genesis and Apokolips, Thanagar, even Tamaran.

The few books towards the back of the room were mostly of a mystical nature, since sorcery did not translate well into data. Dr. Fate and Jason Blood immediately found an interest in the books, having provided a few themselves, and Zatanna joined up with them. Flash, unable to make out much of what they were saying, chalked it up to stuff better not known, and guided the rest of the League away from the sorcerers.

The tour decided to leave the magicians to their own devices, as well as a few other members who'd flitted off in various directions to find work or get called into duty by J'onn. Thus, things were winding down as the Flash led his tour group to the final destination he could think of that they'd want to see. And, as in typical Flash fashion, had saved the best for last.

The Javelin bays.

"Wow... wish I had one of these during my time in the Marines," remarked Metamorpho, running an admiring hand along one of the sleeker, more advanced Javelins that had come with the Watchtower. Where Batman got this stuff Flash would never know. He just hoped the big rich millionaire was as generous when it came to birthday presents.

"We're offering courses to teach you how to fly these in a few days," said Flash, as the other members of the League crowded around the javelins, staring up at them with admiration. "We don't use them as much as we used to with the transporter system in play, but its nice to have them around in case we need to head to another planet or want to drop down somewhere we don't know is safe to beam down."

"Well," he said, turning to the slightly smaller group and addressing them. "I think that concludes the tour. Any questions?"

"Actually yes I have a question," said a gold-skinned man from the back of the group. Flash dimly recalled his name was Waverider, but didn't remember what his powers were. Batman had briefed the league on their new members, but honestly, who could remember them all?

"Sure, go ahead."

"I understand the League did some studying of us before it gave us the formal invitation to become members. Who was in charge of that?"

"Batman probably," said Flash, unsure of where Waverider was going with this. "That man really earned the Greatest Detective title. Even figure out the fellow behind the mask standing before you," he said, indicating himself. And if nothing else, that had shaken Wally West. He'd thought he'd been pretty good at covering his tracks, yet Batman had apparently known the whole time. And probably Superman too. His mask wasn't lined with lead, after all.

"And he has records on all of us? Information on back histories and such?" pressed Waverider.

"Probably," replied Flash. "But it's for our own good. Batman's on our side, he just doesn't trust us very much."

"How can he?" asked Booster Gold, glancing over at his golden-skinned counterpart. "You and I don't even exist yet. How can he have back-histories on guys like us?"

"Trust me," said the Flash. "He knows."

"Wise policy," remarked the Question.

"Why so interested in who we are?" asked Hawk, glancing at Waverider suspiciously. "Here, I'll save you the trouble. Hank Hall," he grunted, removing his mask, revealing his strong, muscular jaw and short, military-style cut red hair.

"Hank!" said Dove, clearly upset.

"Oh relax Don," grumble his brother. "Who cares who we are?"

"We should be more careful than that," replied Dove, keeping his mask on, for all the good it did him now.

Waverider didn't seem very pleased at all, but he too added the information he'd just received to the back of his mind. More information for his mission. Still, it didn't help that much. He still had a rather large number of suspects. Every single last one of them, to be exact.

"Well, uhm, that's all," said Flash. "Any other questions, or do you want me to stop boring you and get back to being super heroes?"

"I believe we are definitely done here," remarked Aquaman from the back, who'd been remarkably quiet during the entire tour. "Direct us back to the transporters, I wish to return home."

"You got it your Majesty," said Flash, beckoning anyone who wanted to follow.

Some did, others broke off into smaller groups heading back to the galley or to the quarters to fight over rooming rights. Some of them got a rather breath-taking view of the Earth, and had Flash wanted a room up in the Watchtower he'd likely have picked one of those, but he'd ultimately decided to keep his home in Central City for the time being.

* * *

"And… you're sure these are the right coordinates?" asked the technitian, eyeing Aquaman curiously. The Lord of Atlantis cast a glare his way, and the technitian gulped. Answer enough. "Alright them…"

A flash of blue light, a whirring sound, and where previously had stood Aquaman was only air, whereas the great sea-warrior had been transported back to his home, his wife, and his son beneath the seas. Flash didn't terribly miss him, but he was better on their side than at their throats, he had to admit.

A thought occurred to him.

"Oh one more thing," said the Flash, gathering the attention of those present. He drew them over to a monitor in the main room with their names listed on it. As well as a number of icons that none of them recognized. Until Flash indicated what they meant down at the bottom. Mostly for the active and inactive rosters, plus a distinct condition that was basically "do not disturb unless absolutely necessary." Some people, despite being members of the League, still didn't want to be full-time heroes for dealing with everyday threats like mobsters and Intergang.

With only few exceptions, every single member present signed themselves up for active duty. They'd come here to be heroes, and that was what they were going to be. J'onn would simply get to tell them where and when to go so they would be a more efficient team.

_Flash.__ We have a situation_.

"Come again?" asked Flash, pressing a finger against his ear to hear better. There was a general chatter going on since his Royal Pain in the Butt had been teleported back down to Atlantis. Flash turned away, listening more intently.

_There is a situation. The team in Chong-Mai has encountered some difficulties. I require assistance_.

"You got it, what do you need?" asked Flash, speaking to thin air. More than a few of the League glanced at him in surprise. They didn't yet realize he was speaking to a telepath. They'd learn.

_Two teams.__ Green Lantern is injured. Green Arrow and Supergirl are bringing him back in the Javelin now but neither is proficient at piloting it. They'll need guidance from the tower to safely dock._

"I can handle that, what else?"

_I'm taking a team to recover Captain Atom. I'll need assistance from someone capable of containing all that raw energy out there._

"Dr. Fate maybe could handle that. Or Metamorpho. I'll ask," said Flash. Then, turning to the gathered heroes, he called out more loudly. "Hey Fate! Metamorpho! Got a mission for you. You two think you can grab up a lot of energy that's been scattered over a large area?"

"That depends on how wide of an area we're talking about," replied Dr. Fate, his voice hollow behind the helmet he always wore.

_Not very.__ He wasn't out of orbit when he reached critical, the energy is starting to drift back to Earth._

"You get that?"

"Loud and clear," replied Dr. Fate. "I'll head to the Javelin bay."

"Right behind you," said Metamorpho.

"I'll need some assistance down in the Javelin Bay for the other team too. Booster Gold," he said, picking some of the closest heroes. "Obsidian. You guys are with me."

Flash made his way down to the Javelin bay with the other two Leaguers, leaving the rest to their own devices. The elevator deposited them in the bay, and Flash zipped down along the conveyer belt to the control tower of the landing bay.

"Hello?! Is anyone there?" came a crackling voice of the intercom. Flash punched in some keys, and Supergirl's pretty blonde face materialized on the view screen.

"Hey Kara, how was your first day out?" asked Flash nonchalantly.

"Oh plenty fun," she replied sarcastically. "Lantern and Atom both got half-obliterated and I get tossed around like a tennis ball by a Godzilla wanna-be robot, but otherwise I'm fine."

"Good to hear," he said, glad to see her sense of humor was intact, at least. "I hear you need someone to guide you into the bay. It's easy, really."

"How easy?" she asked, skeptical.

"It'll make your driver's license test look dreadful."

"It's already dreadful," she grumbled. "I failed it three times already."

"Can we discuss this later?" came a tired voice from behind Supergirl. From the vid screen, Flash could barely make out Green Arrow, and he seemed in pretty bad shape too. But he was still breathing, and that would do for now at least.

"Okay Kara, send a signal to open up the doors. Green button by your elbow," instructed the Flash...

* * *

"Oh man GL... you look like hell," remarked Flash as he peered down at his wounded friend.

"Nice to see you too," grunted Green Lantern. Hell was an understatement. Half of his Lantern uniform had been singed clear off his body, and the skin beneath was blistered and burnt. He looked downright terrible.

"Booster Gold, you know the way to the medical bay?" asked Flash.

"Sure, no problem," said the gold and black clad hero as he helped transport the Green Lantern up to the medical bay for proper treatment. Obsidian, the shadowy black figure with them, assisted him, as Flash re-boarded the Watchtower and gave a quick inspection of the other two members.

Supergirl was doing pretty good. She didn't even have a mark on her, which wasn't surprising considering kryptonians were made of tough stuff. But she was taking in deep, shallow breaths, and her hands still hadn't let go of the guidance controls to the Javelin.

"Hey, easy there..." he said, well aware she must be in shock. She'd been through a tough day. Gently he closed his hands over hers and eased her grip off the controls. "Just relax. It's over now."

"But we lost Captain Atom," she said, her voice shaking.

She didn't know. Well that certainly explained why she was so shook up. Flash well remembered how he'd felt when he thought Superman had bit the big one. Well, a little good news would cheer her up.

"Actually he didn't," he said, as she whirled around in surprise. "Captain Atom's suit was damaged but he's tougher to kill than that. He's up in the medical bay now."

"Wow," she said, unprepared to find out her comrade had survived a near-fatal blast with the atomic monster from Chong-Mai. "Uh... I think I'll go check on him," she said, and zipped out of the Javelin bay at a speed only slightly slower than the Flash could follow. She must've been really worried.

"So how was life up here on Mount Olympus?" asked Green Arrow, making his way over to stand by the Flash. Green Arrow was in surprisingly good shape, his costume seemed to have taken the brunt of the damage. Still, he looked tired as hell and his quiver was practically empty. He'd been through a rough day too.

"Quiet enough. We already took care of Captain Atom..."

"Yeah I heard," rumbled Green Arrow. "Hey you guys got somewhere up here a guy can get cleaned up? I'm a damn mess," he said, brushing hand through his blonde locks. It was caked in dust and dirt, and his uniform was torn and ripped in a multitude of places.

"Sure think GA. Just follow me," said the Flash, guiding his latest tour victim towards the elevator.

* * *

"Ooh man, what a day," muttered the Flash. His long day of touring made even his feet ache. He was really looking forward to being beamed back down to Earth and getting home for a nice relaxing nap. As it was, however, as he passed by the lounge (passed over during the old tour because there wasn't much going on in it at the time) when he heard a lot of commotion. People talking. Curiosity got the better of him, and he glanced inside for a look.

"Read 'em and weep ladies," said the Atom, slapping down his cards (almost as big as he was) onto the table before him. Three aces, which obliterated anything else on the table. The other players, B'wana Beast, the Crimson Avenger, Elongated Man and Booster Gold were all there, sitting around a table playing cards like ordinary off-duty soldiers. Judging from the chips, B'wana Beast was cleaning up.

_There's a surprise_, thought Flash. _Who would've guessed the jungle boy would've known his way around cards?_

_Good thing he's not the only one._

"Deal me in," said Flash, zipping in and grabbing a spare chair, pulling himself up in between B'wana Beast and Crimson Avenger. _Time to show the rookies how its done_.

Atom pushed the cards over to Flash, and he quickly shuffled and re-shuffled them at high-velocity, tossing out the cards to the other players as he explained the rules. "Okay, texas hold 'em. Aces count high, no pot limit, five bucks to stay in."

"Too rich for my blood," said Crimson Avenger, sliding to his feet. "Plus J'onn just called me. I'll get my money back from you vultures later," he said, departing with a swirl of his crimson cloak.

"Awww man, what now? Who we gonna get to sit in for Avenger?" asked B'wana.

"I'll join you guys," said a voice from the door. As one, the team turned to glance in surprise at the figure standing there. It was Green Arrow.

"That is, if you don't mind doubling the ante," he said with a smirk, tossing aside his bow and quiver and joining them at the table, pulling up Crimson Avenger's seat.

"Double ante sounds fine," said Booster Gold. "If someone'll spot me a few bucks. I'm a little light."

"Alright, we got a game... Atom, ante up."

"Give me a sec these things are heavier than they look," replied Atom with a grunt.

The game continued on into the night, players leaving or arriving depending on who was on duty and who had what to get back to down on Earth. But the Watchtower had lost some of its cold, imposing awe with a simple game of cards. It felt more... homely... now.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Most of the new heroes given brief appearances in my story have already been seen in the Justice League Unlimited episodes, but a few were seen only briefly in 'Initiation,' like Steel and the Creeper, so I decided to include them on the big guided tour of the Watchtower to introduce them. I selected Flash for the tour guide because of his lack of screen time in JLU (seriously, he appeared once and has had no lines). We know the Question has a room in the Watchtower, we can only presume that J'onn, Diana, and probably Shayera (if she hadn't left) probably have ones too, since they're orphans and exiles. I don't think that all the League's secret identities are available for just anyone to learn, even if the core seven now know who each other are. The cafeteria was seen in 'Fearful Symmetry', but I had to make some guesses on the cuisine (honestly, do aliens even like eating human food?) and some things for the non-organic life-forms in the League like Red Tornado. The idea that the League keep prisoners in the Watchtower (well, non-Earth prisoners) comes from the Static Shock crossover episode 'A League of their Own', which also featured a piece of Brainiac. Hard-light holograms, training programs, and especially the training robots come from 'Fearful Symmetry.' Most of the planets/star systems mentioned in the records are mentioned throughout Justice League (if not actually visited by them in episodes) but I also slipped in Tamaran, the home world of Starfire from Justice League's sister DC animated series, the lovable Teen Titans. Flash's thoughts about Batman's spending habits and birthday presents is an in-joke to 'For the Man who has Everything.' Hawk casually revealing his secret identity? Methinks he and Dove don't really care who knows who they are, since they did it in a bar in front of some street punks in 'Hawk and Dove.' But Hawk getting into an argument with Waverider? A comic fan might particularly enjoy that, since in the comics Waverider came from the future to find a member of the League who would eventually become an evil super villain called Monarch. Only he doesn't know which one (and I won't spoil it, in case they decided to do that storyline with JLU. I mean, why else bring in Waverider?)


End file.
